Run roof design

[Intheswamp]

Well, for looks, yes, extending the asphalt roofing would keep things looking homogeneous.

The chicken wire would work great on top of the run. As long as you can keep the coons from scaling the building and fences then the run would be fairly well secured with the 2x4 welded wire fence. If they can get over the fence or on top of the building then all bets are off as the chicken wire on top will not keep them out...they're nature's best burglars and very smart. Electric fence is a good deterrent in conjunction with good perimeter mesh fencing.

Something else is the bottom edge of the fence. An apron of either 2x4 or 1/2" fence is really important in thwarting digging predators....a piece of fence bent into an L shape with the bottom of the L facing outward and the upright portion integrated with the upright perimeter fencing. The animal walks up to the fence and starts digging but soon finds he can't dig through the buried fence....they're not smart enough to back off a piece and dig underneath the horizontal piece of fencing. Usually 18-24 inches of fence is used for the horizontal part of the L.

And....more more thing. Along the bottom of the perimeter fence people use 1/2" hardware cloth coming up a couple of feet at least...this prevents a coon from reaching through and pulling a chickens head, or wing, or leg...basically whatever it can grab...through the larger spaced main fence.

If you get the sense that you are constructing a virtual "Fort Knox" of a coop....then you're on the right track.

Ed

 

[smashleyrose]

Good point about the gutter!!! That's a lot of roof for rain to fall on...it's gotta go somewhere. Something that you might want to check out is a "roof washer" or "rain diverter" if you want to use the rain-water for the chickens. These items help to wash away some of the trash on the roof...bugs, bird poop, leaves, etc., before it enters your rain barrels or whatever...

Here is one that has been around for a while:
http://www.rainharvest.com/rain-harvesting-pty-downspout-first-flush-diverter.asp



Ed

That's a great invention! Could use the run-off from that thing to water the garden.

 

[smashleyrose]

Made a huge change of plans yesterday afternoon, as I was wandering around the barn and paddocks scratching my head. I am going to use the stall opposite of the original one as the coop. This stall has an attached run that is skinnier, but longer, than the one I had originally planned on using. But it is already fenced with welded wire and will be easier to roof.

The stall itself is under the hay loft and has a nice flat roof. I'm excited about the change. Logistically it makes more sense.

 

[smashleyrose]

Well, for looks, yes, extending the asphalt roofing would keep things looking homogeneous.

The chicken wire would work great on top of the run. As long as you can keep the coons from scaling the building and fences then the run would be fairly well secured with the 2x4 welded wire fence. If they can get over the fence or on top of the building then all bets are off as the chicken wire on top will not keep them out...they're nature's best burglars and very smart. Electric fence is a good deterrent in conjunction with good perimeter mesh fencing.

Something else is the bottom edge of the fence. An apron of either 2x4 or 1/2" fence is really important in thwarting digging predators....a piece of fence bent into an L shape with the bottom of the L facing outward and the upright portion integrated with the upright perimeter fencing. The animal walks up to the fence and starts digging but soon finds he can't dig through the buried fence....they're not smart enough to back off a piece and dig underneath the horizontal piece of fencing. Usually 18-24 inches of fence is used for the horizontal part of the L.

And....more more thing. Along the bottom of the perimeter fence people use 1/2" hardware cloth coming up a couple of feet at least...this prevents a coon from reaching through and pulling a chickens head, or wing, or leg...basically whatever it can grab...through the larger spaced main fence.

If you get the sense that you are constructing a virtual "Fort Knox" of a coop....then you're on the right track.

Ed

The great thing is that the prior owner had dug 2X12 boards down about 6 inches around the entire perimeter of all three of the paddocks off the barn. I can have DH excavate a trench on the perimeter of that and bury L-shaped HWC along the outside. I'm thinking 6 inches deep, so it lines up with the bottom of the buried board. Going to install a couple of strands of electric fencing, at least along the top board to deter raccoons from climbing. There are two large trees in the run, which will also receive insulators and wire. Hopefully there aren't any raccoons sleeping up there while we install the electric fencing on those.

Adding an additional layer of 1/4 HWC along the bottom 2 feet is now officially in the plans. Going to build a gabled roof over the run and the first 10 feet will be covered and guttered. Roofing around the trees should be interesting. They are mature and shouldn't get any bigger than they are, but I'd hate to take them out. At the least they should provide some interesting places to put ladders and roosts.

Hubby thinks I've gone nuts.

 

[Dmontgomery]

He's right, partially. You are actually just going nuts. A family member delivered my wife's official "crazy chicken lady"shirt this week. We went from 3 chickens in a 8x8 coop in April to 39 chickens in a 16x6 coop in June. You've got a couple months to go before you are completely nuts.

 

[smashleyrose]

He's right, partially. You are actually just going nuts. A family member delivered my wife's official "crazy chicken lady"shirt this week. We went from 3 chickens in a 8x8 coop in April to 39 chickens in a 16x6 coop in June. You've got a couple months to go before you are completely nuts.

LOL!!! So much to look forward to! Hopefully he will survive the winter.

Heard chicks in the post office this morning, got really excited. Probably going to throw together a brooder this weekend so I can get "the look". You know, so the chicks will be ready to go outside by the time the coop and run are finished

 

[Dmontgomery]

Best of luck to both of you.

 

[Intheswamp]

Yes, it sounds like the bug has bitten you quiet bad, rose. That's ok, there is a cure...a box of biddies.

Ok, I told a tale, that really just fans the fire!!!!!

I'm curious, though, if the big trees are inside the run...why put electric fencing on them?

Ed

 

[smashleyrose]

Yes, it sounds like the bug has bitten you quiet bad, rose. That's ok, there is a cure...a box of biddies.

Ok, I told a tale, that really just fans the fire!!!!!

I'm curious, though, if the big trees are inside the run...why put electric fencing on them?

Ed

Yep, the kids are almost as bad as I am. At least I'll have a small army to help clean and feed.

As far as the trees go, I keep having visions of raccoons jumping from tree to tree, climbing down and shredding the wire. Of course, if raccoons can't jump like squirrels can, then I'm just really going nuts with my overactive imagination. I know we have opossum and raccoon, they eat the apples that fall on the ground and the blackberries and then crap all over the place. They are not very respectful neighbors.

I'll have to take some pics of the new run location tonight.

 

[Intheswamp]

Mmmmm, I see possible storm clouds on the horizon. It sounds like you have a high population of chicken killers. Does the original site for the coop and run (the opposite side of the barn, I think) have trees inside of it? Raccoons are very capable climbers, but don't come close to squirrels in the jumping department. But, they can jump short distances and can leap/fall/drop down with the best of them. With what I heard in your statement above you need to be building your coop and run to very tight, strong tolerances. Raccoons will be relentless in trying to figure out how to get inside the run and coop, probing and poking all around the perimeter. Are you up to trapping them and dispatching them? I would start now with a trapping program of some sort. If you decide to trap please do not relocate them to be someone or something else's problem. They can do a lot of damage and do it very quickly. If you build to defend against raccoons you will have pretty much defended against all the other predators. The first line of defense is naturally the coop...but you have to be there to lock them up once they go inside. The next line of defense is the run (in most situations). With your setup you will have to be sure that the coon can't climb atop the barn from the opposite side, scamper across the roof and then clamber down into a chicken buffet. Or, wiggle his way inside the coop after gaining access to the barn proper.

They may very well travel from tree to tree if they know the end goal is a chicken dinner. They don't travel limb-to-limb like squirrels, though. I think most of their travels are land based. There are some folks on here that have had extensive experience with coons...hopefully they will show up with some advice.

Fort Knox mentality....

Ed